MUMBAI: Bollywood star Akshay Kumar on Monday said he is getting into "unknown and uncharted territory" with something he had not done before, sparking furious speculation on social media that he is about to plunge into politics.
Akshay followed up his first tweet with another tweet several hours later, saying he is not contesting elections.
But that did little to quell the speculation in this election season.
The Bollywood actor of films like "Padman" and "Toilet:Ek Prem Katha" has also featured in government ads on issues such as menstrual hygiene, anti-smoking and traffic safety rules.
After the first tweet in the morning, the actor said he is not contesting elections but kept the suspense alive with a second, cryptic message in the afternoon.
Several people on social media said he will enter politics even if he doesn't contest.
Many in the industry believe "Toilet: Ek Prem Katha" is a shout out to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet project "Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan".
With the Lok Sabha elections underway, the star's next moves were hotly debated on social media.
Akshay won the National Film Award for his performance in "Rustom", in which he played a patriotic Navy officer.
The award created some furore as many believed his award was a result of his closeness with the ruling government.